India turned entertainment into a lifestyle choice in 2025: BookMyShow report

India’s appetite for entertainment soared in 2025, transforming the way people watched films, attended concerts and engaged with culture. BookMyShow’s #BookMyShowThrowback2025 report, released today, captures a year in which entertainment moved from spontaneous indulgence to a deliberate, weekly ritual.

The platform notes a clear behavioural shift. Stepping out for a film, gig, comedy show or cultural experience became as routine as dining out, with audiences actively seeking out stories, music and performances that resonated with global standards.

Cinema remained the nation’s collective heartbeat. Blockbusters, regional hits and a surge of nostalgic re-releases pulled millions back to theatres. Cities such as Hyderabad emerged as re-release hotspots, while Bengaluru strengthened its reputation as India’s midnight-movie capital for the second year running. Interstellar led the year’s revival trend, selling out its February re-release before returning due to overwhelming demand in March.

The Dussehra weekend recorded the highest footfall of 2025 with 6.8 million tickets sold, followed by Independence Day. Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1 notched the most repeat viewings with more than 6 lakh fans returning for a second watch. Coolie dominated advance bookings with 2.4 million pre-release tickets. Single-screen theatres continued to play a vital role, contributing more than half of total sales for Hari Hara Veera Mallu-Part 1.

If cinemas were the emotional core, live entertainment became the country’s rallying cry. The sector grew by 17 percent with more than 34,000 events hosted across India. State governments played a crucial role, signing MoUs with BookMyShow to strengthen infrastructure and welcome more national and global acts. Music tourism boomed, with more than 5.6 lakh fans travelling across cities for concerts, boosting local economies.

Premium experiences surged too. VIP pits, premium lounges and hospitality-led viewing zones nearly doubled in footfall. More than 1.8 million fans attended events solo, signalling growing comfort with independent entertainment choices. Cities such as Vishakapatanam, Vadodara, Indore, Shillong and Rajkot saw remarkable growth, reflecting the rise of a truly pan-India entertainment ecosystem.

Theatre also enjoyed a revival, recording 45 percent growth as new audiences embraced live performance. At home, viewers expanded their global tastes with Indian epics, Korean thrillers and European dramas coexisting on the same watchlists through BookMyShow Stream.

As BookMyShow summarises, 2025 was not a year of passive viewing but active participation. Indians travelled, explored, revisited favourite films, discovered new stages and built memories around shared cultural moments. For the platform, 2025 marks the prologue to an even bigger entertainment landscape in 2026.